A month in Vietnam: Part 3 - The Mekong Delta

Gorgeous, tranquil countryside in the Mekong Delta

After spending some time in Hanoi and then Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), and having come from the city of Nanning, we were all feeling a little tired of urban areas and ready for somewhere quieter. We booked a "homestay" in the Mekong Delta, and I use quotes because it was really more of a countryside hotel, and it was exactly what we all needed after the pollution and traffic in the cities.

To get there we took a bus from HCMC to the small city of Vinh Long and from there took a ferry to an island where our hotel was located. The island was lovely; it was full of farms, small, traditional houses, canals with long boats rowing by and the weather was beautiful. We spent a lot of time riding around the island on bicycles which were provided for free by our hotel.

The rest of the time we just relaxed in hammocks and drank more drip coffee at the hotel, which was really nice. The rooms had open air windows and spaces between the walls and floor, presumably to let air flow as the Mekong Delta is a very hot, humid place - although when we visited in February it was warm and sunny, with little humidity. The beds came with mosquito nets and little geckos had free reign of the room.

Our room in the "homestay" near Vinh Long

Our hotel offered boat tours around the island and we signed up for the larger group one with other guests in order to save money. There were probably about 8-10 of us on the tour, but it was still a great experience. They provided an amazing breakfast of eggs, fresh bread, fruit, coffee, and tea on the boat and took us around the labyrinth of islands. 

We stopped at a local market where we got off the boat for awhile to shop for local fruit and snacks. We also passed by one of the famous floating markets in the area, although it was quite small; just about three or four boats stopped near each other in the river, with samples of their products tied to tall bamboo poles as advertisement. Most were selling fruit and vegetables. Our guide explained that the construction of bridges and the frequently-running ferries were causing the regular markets to grow, as fewer people are getting around by boat these days. It's unfortunate to see the traditional floating markets dying out, but you can't blame the local people for wanting something that better fits their needs.

One of the few remaining floating markets

In the local market near Vinh Long

Another place we stopped was a factory that makes local snacks and souvenir products, like coconut candy, the toasted rice paper sheets that are common in Vietnamese cooking (like a rice tortilla), and snake liquor. We got to see the process used to make those three things which was really interesting and we were given samples to try. The coconut candy was delicious, it's a little like a soft chew candy but with a creamy quality, and in a variety of flavors like chocolate, coffee, etc. The snake venom liquor is actually made with snake venom, but the process of distilling it destroys the venom. The liquor tastes a bit sweet and syrupy; the closest thing I can compare it to is a sherry or brandy. Supposedly it's good for virility but I'd take that with a big grain of salt.

Strips of coconut candy ready to cut into small pieces for wrapping

Distilling snake venom liquor

Making a toasted sheet of rice paper

The last part of the boat tour involved getting off the big power boat (which the driver let us take turns driving for a bit previous to that!!) and we got onto some of the much smaller traditional long boats. Each one was rowed by a woman with long oars, and they took us through some of the narrow canals around the island. It was really tranquil and relaxing, and especially wonderful after all the crowded city streets. 

I got to drive the boat! And no one died!!

Getting on a smaller boat to go through the canals

As we were leaving Vinh Long on the last day, the city was having a festival for Tet, and we got to spend a few hours wandering around it. We tried a local street food that I loved, which is often called a Vietnamese taco by tourists. It's made with the toasted rice paper and a variety of fillings and sauces, grilled over a little barbecue and served pretty similar to a taco. 

Meat, veggies, fresh herbs and sauce on toasted rice paper

Vietnamese taco!

Our fun collection of drinks at the festival - beer, drip coffee, and coconut milk!

We also got to see a Lion Dance competition. The local young men were performing in teams and each group was amazing. They would jump around on tall metal poles and perform acrobatic tricks all while wearing the long lion costume. It was one of the coolest things I got to see while traveling in Vietnam.